Shaft hanger construction



Dec. 8, 1953 F. M. GUY ET AL SHAFT HANGER CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 14, 1950 v INVENTOR. FIPEDIk/CA' fil Gur EDWAJ/tg MJ WS Patented Dec. 8, 1953 SHAFT HANGER CONSTRUCTION Frederick M. Guy and Edward J. Herbenar, Detroit, Mich., assignors, by direct and mesne ase signments, to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a eorporation of Ohio Application September 14, 1950, Serial No. 184348 20 Clams. l

The present invention relates to a resilient shaft hanger, which is particularly but not exclusively, adapted for use in motor vehicle constructions to provide a fiexible support for a driven shaft, or the like, which may be subjected to forces causing any of a variety of movements relative to a supporting member.

This invention is an improvement over prior types of shaft hangers for motor vehicles in that it has a simplified structure enabling it to be manufactured and installed at a lower cost than could be had with prior shaft hangers. By virtue of this improvement, considerable savings can be realized by the manufacturers of automobiles in the initial cost thereof.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a resiliently mounted shaft hanger which allows universal movement within predetermined limits of the supported shaft relative to a fixed point of p attachment of the hanger to a supporting member, said shaft hanger being characterized by its relatively simple and few parts, permitting it to be easily assembled and installed on the motor vehicle, thereby reducing labor costs as well as costs of material.

It is another object` of the present invention to provide a resiliently mounted shaft hanger particularly adapted for use in supporting a flexibly mounted rigid rotatable shaft and to permit its bodily movement relative to a supporting structure by means of resilient members which provide cushiom'ng action as well as acoustic insulation. i

It is still another object of the present in'- vention to provide a resiliently mounted shaft hanger which is characterized by the relatively simple hanger arm Construction as well as the simple arrangement for resiliently joining the hangerarm to the housing of the shaft journaling bearing, thereby facilitating assembly of the Component parts while providing a structure especially well adapted to permit limited universal movement of the shaft and to prevent transmission of' sounds or vibration from the* 2. hanger mounted on a fragmentary portion of a supporting structure; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the present shaft hanger and shows a shaft in phantom supported thereby.

Before explaining thepresent invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology orterminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the accompanying drawings, the shaft hanger of the present invention is shown which is particularly well adapted for use with motor vehicles as is more fully explained in Guy Patent No. 2,450,279, issued September 28, 1948, to which reference is hereby made.

A motor vehicle supporting structure is shown at !0 to which the shaft hanger !2 is resiliently Secured. The shaft hanger [2 includes a housing l4 within which is a shaft journaling bearing IS adapted to receive a spline shaft la or the like, which can be seen in 'Fig. 2 in phantom. A shaft hanger arm'structure 20 has its ends resiliently mounted in opposite sides 'of the housing |4 and has its upper end resiliently connected to the motor vehicle supporting structure 10 by the supporting brackets 22 and 24.

The supporting brackets 22 and 24 are formed from any suitable metal clamping members 26 and 28 between which a resilient bushing 30 can be clamped to the upper portion of the The clamping members 26 and 28 are held together by the nutand hanger arm structure 20.

bolt arrangement 32 and 34. If desired, the

-resilient bushing member 30 can be' bonded to the clamping members 26 and 28 as well as to the hanger arm structure 20, and the bushing member 30 canbe preloaded to any desired extent by selecting a desired size of bushing 30 and clamping the same under a desired pressure as a result of drawing together the nut and bolt arrangement 32 and 34;

'The hanger arm structure 20 can' be made' of said supportmember for s'ecuringthe shaft" hanger to a supporting structure, said brackets having resilient bushings within which said support' member is mounted. i

'7. A resilient shaft hanger comprising a housing formed from two sheet metal stampings se of the horizontal upper portion, :and the lower ends'of said Vertical arms extending inwardly in a horizontal direction toward each other, said lower ends being received respectivelv within said resilient'bushi'ngs, and means for securing said support member to a supporting structure.

8. In a resilient shaft hanger, a housing formed from 'two sheet metal stampings Secured together for receiving a shaft journaling hearing, a pair of resilient bushings mounted in opposite sides oisaid housing between adjacent surfaces of said stampings, said resilient bushings being cup" shaped with their open ends'facing outwardly of the housing and adapted for receiving portions of hanger arms. g

9. In a hanger mounting assenbly for supporting a driven shaft from a structural member, brackets Secured to said member, a first set of pre-load resilient bushings carried by said brackets and having aligned bores, and a hanger having a straight portion thereof extending through and mounted in said bushings and having a dependent portion providing spaced opposed ends, a shaft bearing housing between said ends having aligned sockets for receiving said ends and a second set of pre-loaded resilient bushings in said sockets about said ends.

10. In a hanger mounting assembly for suspending a bearing housing for a driven shaft from a structural beam, brackets adaptecl to be secured to said beam and having spaced portions dening aligned openings, pre-loaded rubber bushings in said openings, a shaft bearing hanger having a portion extending through and resiliently mounted in said bushings, and having other portions for supporting theshaft hearing housing.

11. In a hanger mounting assembly for suspending a driven shat from a structural channel beam open on its lower side and having fianges extending therealong, brackets Secured to said flanges spanning said open side and having' spaced portions defining aligned openings, preloaded rubber bushings in said openings, a shaft hearing hanger in the form of an integral C having a straight cylindrical portion mounted in said bushings and having opposed spaced end portions in alignment with each other, a shaft hearing housing having aligned sockets for receiving said end portions and pre-loaded rubber bushings in said sockets mounting said end portions.

12. In combination, a structural support, a hanger for suspending a shaft bearing housing from said support at varying adjustable heights of the shaft axis, said hanger being an integral C-.shaped bar having spaced opposed ends, said shaft hearing housing having aligned sockets for receiving said ends, the centerline of said sockets being offset from and at right angles to the axis of said housing, pre-loaded rubber bushings in said sockets i'n which said ends are mounted,

brackets for attachment to said support having looped portions defining openings, pre-loaded rubberbushings in said openings for mounting the long portion of said C-shaped bar, and means .for securing said brackets to said support with said loops looped upwardly or downwardly to vary the distance of said axis below said support.

13. In combination, a member providing a plane supporting surface, a bearing housing for 'supporting'a shaft in a plane generally parallel to said first plane, an integrally for-med c-shaped hangenlooped straps providing with said plane supporting surface aligned apertures for receiving the long side of said hanger, said housing hav- "ing aligned sockets for'receiving the ends of said thereof on either side of the plane of said surface.

14. In combination, a channel structure having fianges lying in the same plane, a shaft bearing housing'formed of mating halves providing ialigned sockets the center line of which is at right angles to 'and offset from the axis' of said housing, an integral c-shaped hanger, looped straps, plates assembled with said straps to provide aligned apertures, means for attaching' said assembled plates and straps to said fianges with the loops extending into or away from the open side of said channel, and pre-loaded' rubber bushings in said apertures and in said sockets providing a mounting for the long side and the short ends respectively of said hanger.

15. In combination, a channel structure having fianges lying in the same plane, a shaft bearing housing formedof mating halves providing aligned sockets the center line of which is at right angles to and oset from the axis of said housing, an integral c-shaped hanger, looped straps, plates assembled with said straps to provide aligned apertures, means for attaching said assembled plates and straps to said flanges With the loops extending into or away from the open side of said channel, pre-loaded rubber bushings in said apertures and in said sockets providing a mounting for the long side and the short ends respectively of said hanger and means clamping said housing halves together with their parting plane in the median plane of said hanger, whereby said housing may be positioned with its axis on one side or the other of said center line.

16. A resilient shaft hanger assembly for suspension from a channel-shaped structural frame, comprising members including closed loops providing apertures, means for securing said members to said frame with the loops extending into or away from the open channel of said frame, mating halves providing when assembled a shaft bearing housing having aligned sockets the center line of which is at right angles to the axis of said housing but offset therefrom, a hanger having a portion extendng through said loops and other portions terminating in said sockets, and pre-loaded rubber bushings in said loops and in said sockets providing a resilient mounting for said hanger.

17. A resilient shaft hanger assembly for suspension from a channel-shaped structural frame, comprising members including closed loops providing apertures, means for securing said members to said frame with the loops extending into or away from the open channel of said frame, a bearing housing having aligned sockets and an axisz eccentriczrwitltirespect ato: the s center line ofc saictsockets andnataright-;angles theretm angi tegra'l zc shaped hangnhavingfi: portion Aextend-: ing through said;` Icons: and;otherpprtions ter.- minating: in: :saidsocket m and preeloaded rubber bushingsin said lo'ops'and-in said;sockz-atsp'o` viding ;a resilient 'mountingforsaid 'hanger:

18:.A-^ resi1ient hanger comprsing; an, integxal metal.. bar: bent. in .theform of. a; C; supporting; means :including pre-loaded .rubber bushngs ree ceivingrand encirclingthe long portionof said bar; asplit housinggfor. asha ft hearing; having mating portionseforming sockets-or'receiv-ing the ends s of: saidsbar, thiznble-l-ike.zpre-1oaded `rubloer.- bushings: insaid sockets about said; bar ends; and; means seourngsaidsplit housing togethen the? axs of said housing:` being: ofiset from 'thecenter *line of said bariends whereby by reversng, saidtghousing 'theaxisthereof may; be brought: above or: below the-center line of sadarmends; 19. A resilent hanger for a driven shaft, com prisng an integral metalbar of uniform; circular: cross-,section bent into the formof 8.10, sup-- portng b'ackets providing; pre-loaded `bushingsabout thelong portion of, said G, ashaft hearing housing, positioned between-the opposed ends of for; receiving said supports; and -pre-1oa.1ed,ruh

RE RICK GU EDWARD J,.

Refereneessvcited in:: the file; of r this@ patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS" 

